Gruber, Lamprecht (d. 1532)

Lamprecht Gruber, of Fieless (Villnöss) in Tyrol, Austria, a martyr, was one of the groups of Anabaptists at Sterzing who in 1532 went to their death for the sake of their faith. He is one of the rather infrequent examples of Anabaptists who recanted, and then, seized by remorse, atoned for their lapse with death. He speaks openly about it in the letter which he and his fellow prisoners wrote to the church in the Adige; he says he hopes to heal the wound he inflicted on his people through his weakness, and depends on God's help to do it. Otherwise it would not be possible to endure die torture inflicted upon him. In a second letter he gives expression to his joy in receiving word from Austerlitz, and states that he and his five companions, Hans Beck, Lorenz Schuster, Peter Planer, and his former servant, and finally Hans Thaler, hope to discard the hungry, physical body "next Wednesday." They are therefore saying good-by and warn against sleepiness. Then follow greetings to the brotherhood in Moravia, to Lamprecht's wife, to Lienhart and Jörg Zaunring, to Roller's parents, and to Planer's wife. They are glad that the Lord so strongly moves His children to go to Moravia. All of them, says the Geschicht-Buch, witnessed with their blood to divine truth.

Braght, Thieleman J. van. The Bloody Theatre or Martyrs' Mirror of the Defenseless Christians Who Baptized Only upon Confession of Faith and Who Suffered and Died for the Testimony of Jesus Their Saviour . . . to the Year A.D. 1660. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1951: 440. Available online at: http://www.homecomers.org/mirror/index.htm.